Friday, September 3, 2010

Lusting After: Creep Selvedge Chino

Creep can sometimes be a little "out there" for lack of a better phrase (read: chambray chef hats), but Hiroshi Awai also does some seriously incredible stuff. For example, these gingham selvedge chinos are off the charts. They're on some restrained Junya 2.0 type shit, giving you more style than necessarily fashion, and ultimately resulting in some of the coolest chinos on the market. The only thing that concerns me about these is how well they could transition into F/W. I love chinos because of their year round versatility, but the addition of blue gingham could potentially counteract this. Or maybe not. Maybe I'm over thinking it. I mean, who wouldn't want to wear these pants as often as possible?

18 comments:

These are constructed from selvedge fabric? "Selvedge" typically refers to a fabric with built-in finished edges. The fabric here appears to have had its edges "capped" with a sewn-on strip of gingham. Hard to say whether the fabric underneath is truly selvedge.

Is that pedantic? Sure. But fussing over a trivial textile detail in the first place is pedantic, genuine or no.

Yes it's me again And I'm back Oh I oh I oh I yeah Oh I oh I oh I baby Oh I oh I oh I yeah Verse 1

The 22nd of lonliness and we've Been through so many thangs I love my man with all honesty But I know he's cheatin' on me I look him in his eyes but all he Tells me is lies to keep me near I'll never leave him down though I might mess around it's only Cause I need some affection oh Chorus

So I creep yeah Just keep it on the down low Said nobody is supposed to know So I creep yeah 'Cause he doesn't know What I do and no attention Goes to show oh so I creep Verse 2

The 23rd of lonliness And we don't talk Like we used to do Now it seems pretty Strange but I'm not Buggin' cause I still feel The same yeah yeah I'll keep giving loving Till the day he pushes me away Never go astray If he knew the Things I did he couldn't Handle it And I choose to keep him Protected oh Chorus

Bridge

I think about us baby all the time But you know that I'm gonna need Some attention Yeah yeah can you dig it Love you forever baby soul & mind And you gotta know if You don't give it I'ma Get mine

Oh I oh I oh I yeah Oh I oh I oh I baby Oh I oh I oh I yeah yeah yeah yeah Chorus

Outro

I creep around because I need attention Don't mess around with my affection Oh I oh I oh I yeah Chorus

i'm with incredulous on this one...it's absurd how people fetishize made in usa, made in japan, and selvedge. all fabric has selvedge on one end no matter what. such is the case with these pants i assume, but the gingham piping is just a small design detail to make consumers freak out and feel justified in spending whatever retail is on these, it is NOT selvedge...ugh...the profusion of these clothing blogs where every single post is made in usa this, heritage that, makes me nauseous. while i wholeheartedly support the ideas behind those two things (more domestic jobs and an ostensible attention to craftsmanship), to believe that something is automatically of high quality because it is made in the usa is ridiculous. there are good things made here, and crap things made here, just as there are everywhere else...

Incred- I wish I had the exact specs of the pants. Alas, I do not. I think these chinos are boss and that is why I posted them. The taped seams in blue gingham are a great detail.

Anon- Nothing about this post has anything to do with made in the USA or selvedge. I was just relaying the copy found on the shop's website. The reason I posted these is because I think they are cool pants. Hiroshi Awai is a great designer who doesn't get enough love in my opinion. I also saw what I believe to be an obvious Junya Watanabe homage and wanted to draw attention to it.

At $150 these pants are EXPENSIVE, but knowing first hand Creep's quality and unique detailing I think it is worth it. That is all.

I've got no problem with liking these pants in general or the detail on the edges. I think the gingham is a nice complement, and taping over the edges is functional rather than a purely aesthetic flourish. It would also be more labor intensive, which justifies a (somewhat) higher price.

I don't know Mr. Awai, or what he want's his pants to be called by retailers. Presumably he knows what "selvedge" means, literally and with respect to what buzz words buyers are tuned in to.

My sense is that someone who looks for selvedge not because it is an appealing aesthetic detail but because they know that it is typically found on high quality denims is not going to be impressed by a mock selvedge chino. But who knows -- that might be an inside joke they can share with Mr. Awai.

Certainly, nobody who knows what selvedge means with respect to textiles is going to see a taped over edge on a chino and assume anything about the fabric. If it really is selvedge, the tape is unnecessary and actually obscures a mark of quality. I'm guessing these are just "selvedge-y".

But you could not give a rat's ass about selvedge anything and still love every last detail about these pants. As Anon 5:04 noted, selvedge doesn't guarantee anything. Old Navy could have their denim woven with the world's most elaborate selvedge using the same shitty yarn and loose weave and it wouldn't make their jeans any better.

Bottom line, if it IS selvedge, it really shouldn't be hidden because it creates doubt and sparks up conversations like these.As for the design, I think they have great detailing, but the cut does look somehow a relaxed fit. I would love to see chinos that are more tapered like those made in italy. but i do love that the flap on the back pocket is sewn on separately to cover the welt, as opposed to having it sandwiched inside the welt. It gives it a more finished/minimal look.Nice find, Thanx for sharing!

Junior nailed it. You do well here and hip me to a lot of great stuff, but the test we all have to give to any item of clothing is weather Paul Simonon would wear it. These don't pass the Simonon test.

The bias-taped seam finish is a nice touch. It has nothing to do with selvage, however, it is merely a way (albeit an elegant and time/labor-intensive one) of finishing the edge of a seam. It can be found on the inside of many half-lined suit jackets.

What the anonymous commenter said is correct, all woven fabric has a selvage edge, and while incorporating that edge into the design can be a nice detail, it doesn't necessarily bespeak a quality fabric. Personally I like the detail, but there is an amount of skepticism required when a term like "selvage" becomes a catch-word for quality, as in "selvage oxford."